staining

22 Carotenoids, which are found in many other vegetables as well as carrots, can cause severe staining. This staining may be impossible to remove. Don’t worry about it, it won’t affect the operation of the blender.

23 If you want to try, then you could try soaking the stained parts overnight in one of the following:

a)quarter of a cup of household bleach in a sink full of warm water

b)a mixture of 1 part white vinegar to two parts warm water

c)half a small packet of baking soda in enough warm water to cover the parts caution Don’t try to mix these methods. You may make a mess, you may cause nasty eye-

watering, breath-catching fumes, and you may harm the parts you’re trying to clean.

a few simple recipes to get you started

coriander pesto (dip, topping or sauce)

4 handfuls fresh leaf coriander

4 cloves fresh garlic

120g pine nuts 250ml olive oil

120g freshly grated Parmesan

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put the coriander, garlic, pine nuts, and a bit more than half the oil into the jug. Fit the lid, and blend till it looks smooth.

To adjust the thickness, add a little oil and blend for a couple of seconds. Repeat till the consistency looks right, then transfer to a bowl, taste, and adjust the seasoning.

Serve as a dip (fairly thick), as a topping for soup (not too thick, but not runny), or tossed through warm pasta (fairly runny).

black olive and anchovy tapenade/sauce

250g pitted black olives

60g anchovy fillets, drained

3 tbsp capers, drained 150ml olive oil

2 tbsp brandy (optional) fresh ground black pepper

Put everything but the oil into the jug, then fit the lid, remove the cap, and add half of the oil. Replace the cap and blend for a couple of seconds.

Examine the result, then adjust the oil, and blend till you achieve the consistency you need. For a tapenade, to spread on toast, you need a paste; for a sauce, to toss through warm pasta, it should be fairly runny.

You might like to try it with sun-dried tomatoes instead of capers, with green olives instead of black, or with a little garlic.

sweet and sour sauce

4 shallots, peeled

a small piece of fresh ginger, peeled 2 cloves fresh garlic

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp mustard

2 tsp tomato purée

a dash of white wine vinegar

Put everything into the jug, fit the lid and blend till smooth. Serve with chicken or fish, or as a dip.

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